


Something Lost, Something Gained

by Rennaren



Series: Tomorrow [4]
Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: F/M, Gen, Ginoza's Birthday, Mentions of pretty much everyone living or dead, Post Season 2, Pre-Movie, Spoilers for everything, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:50:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8613889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennaren/pseuds/Rennaren
Summary: Akane and Division One throw Ginoza a surprise party.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in Nov. 2115, which would place it between the end of season 2 and the movie.

Inspector Akane Tsunemori glanced up from the case file she had been reading, distracted by the soft chime of her computer as a message appeared on the screen. Closing the file with a soft sigh, she turned to open the message, it was from Shion Karanomori. _‘Hey Akane-chan, Did you know Ginoza-san’s birthday is next week?’_

Akane frowned, sneaking a quick glance at where Ginoza sat working on his own report on the recent capture of an arsonist. The incident was yet another part of the ongoing fallout of the rise in latent criminals, brought on by the wave of terror spurred by Kirito Kamui’s followers despite the execution of the man a number of months previously. _‘No, I didn’t. …He hasn’t said anything about it I don’t think.’_

 _‘Well should we do something?’_ sent back Shion _‘I mean we never have before, but with everything that’s happened this past year maybe…?’_

Akane thought for a moment then nodded to herself. _‘I think that’s a good idea. Maybe a party? I think everyone could use a chance to relax.’_

 _‘Sounds good, and what about a cake or something? Is there anyone that can bake one?’_ asked Shion. Akane paused staring at the message on the screen. A hint of sadness crossed her features as she thought. Years before, before Kamui and before the events involving Makishima, the answer would have been obvious. Kagari had enjoyed cooking. He had even cooked for Akane once, shortly after her assignment to Division one. _But now…_

The soft sound of a throat being cleared across the room drew her from her thoughts. Akane looked up to see Ginoza studying her with a slight frown. “Is everything all right Tsunemori?” he asked quietly.

“…Hmm?” murmured Akane softly, before putting on a bright smile a moment later. “Oh! Of course! I’m fine Ginoza-san, I was just thinking. Nothing to worry about.”

The dark haired man continued surveying her, his concerned expression obvious to Akane, despite his attempt to veil it. “You shouldn’t work so hard, Tsunemori. Even if your psycho-pass doesn’t cloud easily, you should still take time to rest.”

“I’ll be fine, I just want to finish looking over these reports.” replied Akane, gracing him with a smile once more before turning back to her screen. She continued to feel Ginoza’s gaze lingering on her for several more moments before he turned back to his screen as well. 

Akane looked up, sneaking a quick glance at Ginoza, making sure he had returned to his report, before leaning forward to quickly begin typing a reply to Shion’s message. _‘I think I have an idea of who to ask…’_

**\------One week later------**

His birthday was rarely something Nobuchika Ginoza enjoyed, perhaps not since he was a young child, and for the past several years especially as it seemed no one else actually remembered it. Pushing his chair back from his desk with a sigh, Ginoza looked around the office, taking in the empty room. Apparently everyone had already left for the day, leaving him to finish checking over and making notations for corrections to the reports all alone. Even the lights in the room were mostly dimmed save for those above his workspace. Ginoza stood for a moment before turning his computer off and making his way out of the office. After stepping into the elevator he pushed the button for the floor where the other enforcers lived and his quarters were located. He frowned as he watched the floor indicator, one hand unconsciously moving to rub at the ache forming in his chest before he reached up to loosen his tie instead.

 _Today of all days everyone abandons me and leaves all the work behind. …I wasn’t really expecting Kunizuka-san, Karanomori-san or one of the others to remember. But I-… had hoped Tsunemori at least might have known and said something, or just sent a simple message, even though she is my superior. …I shouldn’t be surprised though, I should be used to being left behind by now._ thought Ginoza running his fingers through his hair, tucking it back from where it was beginning fall forward and hang over his ears and into his face. He had been putting off getting it cut, between the ever increasing work load of Division One and the idea he had been debating with of growing it out.

Upon reaching his room Ginoza stepped inside without turning on the lights, currently appreciating the dim lighting, which seemed a suitable match to his mood. Several steps inside, he paused, hearing soft shuffling from another part of the room. “…Dime? …How did you get out of your pen?” he asked hesitantly before freezing. _No, Dime couldn’t get out of his pen unless someone let him out. I know I’d put him in it when I left this morning. Could someone have come in while I was gone? …Could someone else still be here?_ thought Ginoza, his muscles starting to tense in response to his thoughts. After all it hadn’t been that long since Kamui had infiltrated the MWPSB using his holographic disguises, even going so far as to impersonate Ginoza’s therapist. Not to mention one of their own turning on them, like Sakuya Togane had. Hearing movement behind him Ginoza spun and pinned the source, who let out an alarmed squeak, with his prosthetic arm against the door while fumbling to turn on the lights with his free hand.  
The lights came on to reveal a wide-eyed Sho Hinakawa pinned against the door. Ginoza gaped, letting his arm drop as cries of “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” rang out behind him. He turned to see Karanomori and everyone from Division One emerging from where they’d been hiding, including a woman with slightly wavy black hair held back by a fabric headband who was wearing dark glasses over her eyes. She was carrying a cake and was being guided forward by one of Akane’s hands on her shoulder. Akane carried a small potted plant; its base covered in gift wrap and topped with a bow in her other hand. 

“W-what-? How did you-? Michi-san, who-?” stammered Ginoza, before clenching his jaw shut to prevent any more words from escaping, as he felt his face heat slightly, and hoped he wasn’t visibly blushing. _Stop stuttering like a fool!_ thought Gino harshly, taking a breath as he tried to collect his thoughts before speaking again.

“Happy Birthday Ginoza-san!” said Akane, smiling as she held out the plant to him. 

Ginoza took the offered gift, a smile turning the corners of his mouth upwards slightly, though it also felt like his eyes were stinging faintly as well. He blinked rapidly for a moment to clear the sensation as he turned to set the plant on a nearby table. “Thank you Tsunemori. …All of you, thank you.” murmured Ginoza, turning to the others assembled in his room. 

“Go ahead and cut the cake, Gino-san.” said Shion as she walked over to pour herself and Yayoi a drink from one of the bottles assembled on the kitchen counter. 

“Wait, you have to blow out the candles first Ginoza-san.” interjected Akane as she guided Kiyoshiko over to the coffee table, so she could set the cake down. Still slightly overwhelmed Ginoza followed the pair, sitting down on the couch he watched as Akane dug in her pocket pulling out a lighter which she used to begin lighting the handful of candles that scattered the chocolate icing between blue letters spelling out the words ‘Happy Birthday Ginoza.’ After a moment’s study Ginoza recognized the lighter Tsunemori was using as one of Kogami’s, probably taken from among the things he had left behind after he had gone. He felt a slight pang recalling the seeming betrayal, at least it felt that way, of the man who was and probably had been the best friend he’d ever had and the events that followed.

“I hope you like the cake, Ginoza-san. I could ice it but Akane-chan ended up having to help me with the writing.” Ginoza was pulled from his thoughts by the soft voice of the woman seated next to him; he looked over to see that Kiyoshiko had seated herself next to him on the couch while he had been lost in thought.

Ginoza nodded, “I’m sure it will be good, both you and Tsunemori had a hand in making it after all.”

“That’s all right. It was fun, Kiyoshiko-chan.” said Akane, as she straightened after lighting the last of the candles. “There. …Should we sing Happy Birthday?” She asked looking over her shoulder at the others who had moved to gather around the coffee table. 

“Just hurry up and blow the candles out. You probably shouldn’t even have them lit in here in the first place, they’re a fire hazard.” came the voice of Division One’s other inspector, Mika Shimotsuki. The younger girl frowned, folding her arms over her chest as she shot a look at Kiyoshiko “And what is she doing here anyway? She shouldn’t even be here, she’s a civilian. You know why latent criminals aren’t allowed to be around civilians.”

Ginoza flinched almost imperceptibly, glancing guiltily over at Kiyoshiko briefly, then at Tsunemori. “Perhaps. But if it’s not for long it should be all right…” he began, before being interrupted by Shion who added. 

“Besides I’m sure Akane-chan got permission before bringing her.”

“And it’s a chance for us to have fun, right?” threw in Yayoi moving to stand next to Mika, who looked up at the taller woman, her mouth working for a moment before she huffed looking away. 

A light blush colored the young inspector’s cheeks as Yayoi wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a drink into her hand. “…I should still check with Chief Kasei though…” Mika muttered under her breath. 

“It’s all right. I already did earlier.” said Akane, meeting the glare Mika shot her with a smile. She looked over at Ginoza after a moment waving a hand toward the cake. “Go ahead and blow the candles out Ginoza-san, before they melt on the cake. …Don’t forget to make a wish.”  
Feeling the tension in the room ebb slightly, Ginoza nodded and leaned forward to blow out the candles to the cheers of nearly everyone.

**\------Some time later------**

The party had begun to wind down. Most of the alcohol and a good portion of the cake and snacks his fellow enforcers, Sho Hinakawa and Sugo Teppei, brought had already been eaten.  
Ginoza lounged on the couch, one arm draped over the back, the fingertips of his good hand almost but not quite resting on Michi’s shoulder, but still close enough for him to feel her warmth on his fingertips. Tsunemori sat on his other side petting Dime’s head which rested on her knee as she chatted with the others. The large brown husky’s tail was wagging in pleasure, beating lightly against Ginoza’s ankle as he sat on one of Ginoza’s feet. He rested his half full glass of yamazaki whiskey and ice on one knee, the cool metal of his prosthetic insensitive to the cold emanating from the glass. Yayoi and Shion had absconded shortly after the cake had been cut, towing a blushing Shimotsuki along between them, after she had once again begun protesting the inclusion of a civilian and the time spent with enforcers.

After Shimotsuki’s departure the evening had turned to companionable chatter and laugher as stories of past antics both within and without the MWPSB were shared. Even Sugo had eventually gathered the boldness to contribute a story about a time he and Risa Aoyanagi had been trying to track what they thought was a latent criminal responsible for a series of robberies but after a comedy of errors across the whole of Division two, ended up only finding and catching a dog instead. 

As the story was told Ginoza found his mind wandering back to when Risa had visited his quarters the last time he had seen her alive, his throat tightening. Once he finished Sugo fell silent, looking apologetically at Ginoza. Ginoza found himself nodding slightly in acknowledgment, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. After was seemed like a long time Ginoza became aware of a hand resting on his leg and the feeling of two sets of eyes on him, he looked up to see both Akane and Kiyoshiko observing him with worried expressions.  
Closing his Ginoza drew a breath to steady himself and regain control of his emotions. After a moment he reopened his eyes and nodded at Akane, who smiled sympathetically then turned to distract the others and lighten the mood once more with a story of her own while Ginoza gathered himself. Reminding himself to breathe Ginoza lowered his hand to rest on Kiyoshiko’s shoulder, drinking in the warmth of it for a moment as he squeezed gently.  
“I’m-… all right.” He murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. Kiyoshiko patted his leg gently in reply then turned her attention to Akane as she finished up her story with a soft laugh which was shared by Hinakawa and Sugo. 

Hinakawa finished off the last of his third slice of cake before asking shyly. “Onee-chan,… why did you have to help with the lettering on the cake?” 

“Well…” began Akane, glancing over at Kiyoshiko for a moment. Ginoza looked over as well waiting for her response, though he already knew the reason.

“Akane-chan had to help me, because I couldn’t see to be able to write them. I’m blind,… that’s why I wear these. To hide my eyes.” Kiyoshiko said, reaching up to touch the frame of the dark glasses she was wearing. “In this country especially, most people would find my eyes disturbing, or frightening. So without them I would probably cause some people’s hues to cloud anytime I went out.”

 _Leaving the only other option, one of isolation. Like a latent criminal or an enforcer. Someone who people fear will cloud their psycho-pass by mere association with._ thought Ginoza. It was a sentiment he had once understood well, not having been that long ago he had shared it, using that belief as an excuse to separate himself from his father, and later Kogami after his friend’s criminal coefficient had risen, to his ongoing regret. 

“Why not have a transplant done, or even an artificial replacement?” asked a voice from the direction of the door. “It would probably make things easier for you. I wouldn’t imagine there are that many places that routinely make accommodations for someone that can’t see.” The group looked over to see Shion leaning against the door jam, obviously having been listening for the last few minutes. 

“Maybe, but I don’t think it’s something I need. I might have lost my sight,… but there are a lot of things that happened since then I don’t want to lose. They’re worth more to me than just being able to see. Even my being able to come to Japan, was probably because I’m not able to see.” replied Kiyoshiko. 

“W-what do you mean?” asked Hinakawa quietly. 

Kiyoshiko turned to face him, smiling gently, though the smile also seemed a bit sad for a moment. “Where I come from there is no Sybil System. There’s more violence there, and more people hurt by it. …But I haven’t been able to see most of it, not for a very long time anyway, so it has a bit less impact. Which means my psycho pass doesn’t cloud as easily and my crime coefficient stayed low enough that I was able to enter Japan.” She paused turning toward Ginoza for a moment before facing the others in the room once more. “It also means that I judge everyone based on who they are, I can’t see what color anyone’s hue is or what their coefficient is,… and it doesn’t matter.”

“…Hmm.” murmured Shion as she stepped a bit further into the room. “Maybe it means you see things a bit more clearly sometimes.”

“Maybe.” said Kiyoshiko shrugging. “Or maybe it all just means I don’t fit in very well with everyone else.” She paused briefly, and then added with a slight smile. “Either way, even though there are things I’ve lost because of it, there are a lot of things I’ve gained too. …And it means that I’ve gotten to meet all of you.”

The room was quiet, everyone seeming to think over what had been said for a moment. Shion moved over to the coffee table where a couple of the bottles had migrated over the course of the evening. Looking them over for a moment she selected one that was half full. “Mind if I take this one, Gino?” she asked, holding up the bottle so Ginoza could see the label. “Yayoi has Shimotsuki tied up and is keeping her busy but I’m not sure how much longer that’ll last without reinforcements. …Do you think we’d get in trouble for corrupting an inspector?” added Shion, smiling teasingly. 

“Uh, Karanomori-san!… Please don’t take things too far-…” began Akane her expression turning concerned. 

Shion laughed. “I’m just kidding,… mostly.”

 _At this rate we may all end up in trouble. Including Tsunemori…_ Ginoza sighed, finding himself reluctant to bring the evening to an end, though it was beginning to look as if doing so might be the wisest course of action. His gaze flicked back to Karanomori who was still holding up the bottle of alcohol waiting for Ginoza’s approval. Looking to the label he noticed it was a bottle of 50 year-old yamazaki whiskey, which had been Masaoka’s favorite. He hesitated a moment debating, a part of himself wanting to cling to anything that was reminiscent of his late father even if it was easily replaceable, then nodded to Karanomori. 

“Thanks.” said Shion as she turned to leave the room; glancing back over her shoulder she raised the bottle slightly in salute. “Happy Birthday.”

After Shion left the room, Teppei and Hinakawa followed in her wake, perhaps also sensing that the evening was dwindling to an end.  
Akane sighed, looking over at Ginoza as she gave Dime one last pat then got to her feet. “Ginoza-san, I think maybe I should take Kiyoshiko-chan home now.”

“Yes, I think that might be a good idea Tsunemori.” agreed Ginoza nodding and nudging Dime off his foot as he rose as well. 

Ginoza walked Akane and Kiyoshiko to the door, the three of them pausing in the doorway for a moment as Ginoza spoke. “Tsunemori- …Akane, thank you. …For everything.” 

Akane smiled warmly as she looked up at Ginoza. “You’re welcome Ginoza-san. I’m glad we were able to celebrate your birthday.” She smiled once more then moved away a bit to allow Kiyoshiko and Ginoza a moment to say goodbye.

Ginoza gathered Kiyoshiko’s hand in his good hand. “Thank you, for the cake. And for being here.”

“You’re welcome.” Kiyoshiko smiled, turning her face up toward Ginoza’s. “I’m so happy I was able to come.” She said squeezing his hand, before rising up on her toes to gently kiss his cheek. “Happy Birthday, Nobuchika.” 

Ginoza felt his heart speed up, a response that was becoming increasingly common in relation to Kiyoshiko. He watched as Akane and Kiyoshiko left, and then withdrew into his room, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against the closed door, reaching up to touch his cheek where Kiyoshiko had kissed it for a moment, the skin felt as if it were tingling slightly.  
After several minutes Ginoza let his hand fall and turned his attention elsewhere, sighing as he surveyed the remains of the party scattered around the room.  
_Ugh,… what a mess. I’m going to have to clean all of this up before I can do anything else._ He thought, shaking his head. Feeling Dime nudge his knee, Ginoza looked down at the husky who was sitting beside him wagging his tail.  
_Hmm, things gained, and things lost… Over the last year or so I’ve lost so much,… my father, friends, my job, …even my arm._ thought Ginoza as he obligingly bent to pet the large dog. Despite the slight twinge in his chest as he recalled how much in his life had changed, a smile slowly began spreading across his face as he thought back over the evening. _But, perhaps… I’ve gained a few things too._  
Ginoza breathed a laugh, causing Dime to tilt his head looking at him curiously. “Maybe birthdays aren’t so bad after all, huh?”


End file.
